> Is it rich people intentionally being cruel to everybody else?

If you got a $240,000 bonus in the mid-2000s in tech, that very likely means you were living in one of the tech metros (SF, NYC) and you could expect nearly 50% of that to be paid in taxes (CA/Fed, NY/NYC/Fed). So you take home about $120,000.

It's a windfall of money to be sure. But being in an employment situation where even such a bonus is possible likely means you already have significantly higher costs than the average person. Maybe you'll pay down some student loans and bolster your savings. But this is far from being "rich". High-earners also tend to have high costs of living.